


Five Things RO Doesn’t Do and One He Does

by lil_1337



Category: Sea Patrol
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-01
Updated: 2010-02-01
Packaged: 2017-11-07 00:04:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/424683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337/pseuds/lil_1337
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A brief look at the man that is the RO.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Things RO Doesn’t Do and One He Does

RO doesn’t do gossip. As a radio operator with a top secret clearance the ability to keep his mouth closed is a necessary skill. However, RO has a tendency to take it to extremes leaving Lieutenant Commander Flynn and the rest of the crew wishing that Robert was just a bit more willing to share information – any information. When it comes to the off duty lives of his shipmates, RO is privy to quite a few secrets through his job. He treats them with same tight lipped respect as he does an eyes only directive from Nav Comm. Being a private man himself he appreciates that there are things you share and things you keep close no matter the cost.

RO doesn’t do nice. He never has. Nice was not something he grew up with or was taught, unlike most children. Instead, he learned to man up and deal with what was thrown at him. All the candy coating and little white lies don’t change the truth; they just make you less prepared for it. It doesn’t make him popular or the go to person for a pat on the head. However, it does mean that when he expresses sympathy or on rare occasion, gratitude, it carries with it the weight of truth.

RO doesn’t lose things. The fact that he knows the last thing he lost and when it happened, despite being six at the time, is a source of amusement among the crew. With the level of responsibility he has, being anal about knowing where everything is at all times has proven to be an asset even if makes him difficult to work with on occasion. The rigid structure that he now imposes on himself was a way to create calm and order in chaos when he was growing up. It was that or give into the craziness that living with a drunk will bring.

RO does not taste the local delicacies. He particularly does not do so at the urging of 2dads. Without breaking a sweat he can catalogue all the diseases and potential disasters that could befall anyone who does, and will do so without being asked. If he has learned one thing from his aborted encounter with Danielle it is never let his guard down in a foreign port, especially when encouraged to do so by his shipmates. He trusts them to have his back on a boarding and rescue him from a snare that he might be caught in. However, put them on shore and get some guava mojos into them and all bets are off.

RO doesn’t do friends, at least not very well. He makes more of an effort now that Bomber has begun to pull him out of his shell even when he’s sober, but he still struggles with the whole idea. He still refuses to do nice and he walks away at the first hint of gossip, but these days he finds himself spending more time in the junior sailors’ mess than what it takes to just eat. He’s beginning to understand that laughter at something he said can be with him or affectionate in tone. Letting go of control enough to trust other people is never going to be easy for him. Nor will he ever be someone with a wide circle of friends, but like Bomber told him, he’s started with one and is working his way from there. Who knows, maybe someday, friends would be something he does do.

RO does do the Navy. He understands and flourishes within an environment of rules, protocol and chain of command. Knowing what to expect and how to structure his day to day life gives the consistency he sorely lacked before joining up. In Lieutenant Commander Flynn he has found a father figure that he can respect even if their relationship isn’t always smooth sailing. He is trusted and respected as a valued member of the team and in his own way fits into the organization. Once, in a moment of anger, he told the XO that the Navy was his life and he meant it. Being the radio operator isn’t just a job or even a career. Taking away his keys, title, and job would leave Robert Dixon as much adrift as any of the rudderless ships he’s helped rescue.


End file.
